Kicking Butt with Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye #CaptainAmericaEvent

Earlier this week, I shared with you our Exclusive Chris Evans Interview for Captain America: Civil War. As soon as he left the room, we prepared ourselves for kicking butt with Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye during our Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen Interview. These two had a combination of impressive solo scenes, and duo scenes, that made this interview exciting. The fact that neither Renner nor Olsen had seen Captain America: Civil War, and we had, was even more exciting! 😀

(Thanks to Disney/Marvel/ABC for this all expenses paid opportunity!)

Kicking Butt with Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye: Jeremy Renner & Elizabeth Olsen Interview

Photo Credit: Coralie Seright – Lovebugs and Postcards

A tradition that happens for our interviews, is placing toys and action figures on the table where the talent will sit. Often times these toys and figures are the first time the actors and actresses see them, or even see themselves as toys. They tend to break the ice and create for a fun and relaxed interview. The same thing happened with Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner, when he spotted the Hawkeye POP Figure. 😀

Where did I, where did I get the, the, the boy band facial haired thing? – Jeremy Renner
And the moodiest expression. – Elizabeth Olsen
Well, uh, yeah, that’s fine. – Jeremy Renner
[laughs]. That’s great! – Elizabeth Olsen
It’s cool, I don’t know where you get these things, but… – Jeremy Renner
I love it. I think it’s the weirdest thing, and I think it’s awesome. – Elizabeth Olsen

Photo Credit: Coralie Seright – Lovebugs and Postcards

Fans of Marvel comics live and breath the stories. I’ve never read the comics, but I love watching the films. You can see why I was surprised to learn that in the comics, Hawkeye is mostly deaf. Did you know that? We found out how Jeremy Renner would feel if Marvel introduced that into the films.

I keep hearing about that. It isn’t really played out at this point, and not unless we say he’s got an amazing hearing aid or something., or… – Jeremy Renner
Right. Or maybe, like, you get into an explosion. – Elizabeth Olsen
That really wasn’t kind of part of the conversation. We were focused much more on the alternate version of “not the big purple mask sort of guy”. He’s much more of the utility sort of guy. So yeah, they talked about that, but there’s- it doesn’t- I don’t think it’s gonna play out anytime soon. Things are a little late. – Jeremy Renner

Photo Credit: Coralie Seright – Lovebugs and Postcards

I also had to find out if Renner would be game for a Hawkeye film. A lot of people are asking about a stand alone Hawkeye film to be added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that may not happen anytime soon…..

That’s again, above my paygrade, and I’m not gonna make those decisions. For me, I think there’s a lot to explore. To go back a bit and the circus and all that sort of thing and understand how or why and what and just, the reason to do it. There’s gotta be a reason, not just throw it out there. But yeah, I love the character. I’m always willing to do it – explore it more, until they kill me. [audience laughs] – Jeremy Renner
Or until you’re fifty and tired. – Elizabeth Olsen
Until I’m fifty, yeah. Don’t wait too long, man. [audience laughs] No one wants to see that. [laughs] Old man in tights. – Jeremy Renner
That’s what he’d keep saying all day. [audience laughs] He’s old in tights, [laughs]. It worked well for Mel Brooks and everyone in that movie. – Elizabeth Olsen
Oh yeah. – Jeremy Renner

Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War
L to R: Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen).
Photo Credit: Film Frame
© Marvel 2016

Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye have several kick-butt action scenes, both together and apart. It’s always fun to hear about stunts from the actors, and how much of it is them and how much is stunt doubles. It’s been years I’ve attempted a cartwheel so I would be all over having a stunt double. You?

I think we do as many stunts as we can, and then they, a lot of times, take a second crew out, or they’ll film things when we’ve already been wrapped from the movie, when they’re in Germany, and they might do stuff then. But, when we’re there, we do everything. – Elizabeth Olsen
Yeah, it’s just do it all. – Jeremy Renner
Yeah. – Elizabeth Olsen
It’s almost just practical stuff. I don’t do any CGI. It happens outside, outside the arrows, you know. When you fire an arrow, it’s gotta go somewhere, right? [laughs] You know, into the cameraman. But, yeah, it’s 90% of the script. This is fun. If I couldn’t, then the odd part, this would be a boring job. – Jeremy Renner

Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War
L to R: Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch) and Director Anthony Russo
Photo Credit: Zade Rosenthal
© Marvel 2016

One of the things I like to find out when interviewing female celebrities, is what inspires them to take on certain roles. Scarlet Witch is a kick butt female superhero and an strong woman in general. So what inspired Elizabeth Olsen to take on the role of Scarlet Witch?

A few things. I was already a fan of Iron Man and Avengers. I remember, I saw it with my dad when I was working in Servia; it was about the second time seeing it, and it had just came to Servia, and I loved it. Then when I told my older brother, who loves comics and is the person who can guess where everything’s going, and he’s right, somehow, I told him I was taking a meeting with Joss, but I didn’t know what character it was gonna be. Joss started explaining to me who Scarlet Witch was, and he also said, ‘when you look at the comics, just know you will not look like that. I will not put you in a leotard, and cape, and a head cast.’ [audiene laughs] I started reading more about her journey, and I found the fact that her mind is the only thing that limits her, and the ever possibility of this kind of insanity and being able to manipulate reality, that she can manipulate her own reality, those kinds of things, to me, are really cool. I didn’t know when they would come into play, or if they will, and I still hope we play around more with that part of her. I just think she’s a really cool character, and it’s a lot of opportunity for storytelling. – Elizabeth Olsen

Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War
Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen)
Photo Credit: Zade Rosenthal
© Marvel 2016

Scarlet Witch has mind powers, which are pretty darn hard to train for. 😉 Hawkeye on the other hand, shoots a bow which is something you can actually do in real life. Do you think Jeremy Renner shoots a bow or practices with one to get ready for his role?

I don’t – no. I do not and I didn’t do any extra training. Every time, it’s a different sort of setup with the bow, and what’s happening with the tech and stuff. On this one the quiver is different. Sometimes they could snap out and they put a different tip on the bottom. This one, I really do a full extension. – Jeremy Renner

Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War
Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner)
Photo Credit: Film Frame
© Marvel 2016

There’s a lot of action in Captain America: Civil War, but there’s a lot of humor in the movie as well. Jeremy Renner mentioned that the “Russo brothers were great” and let the cast run with a bunch of different things, and that “probably the funnest part of the job was the improvising“. Fun was something we heard the entire cast of Captain America: Civil War say about working on the film. Renner and Olsen talked about one of their funnest scenes as Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye.

One of my favorites is you (Renner), me, and Paul filming that sequence just because it was so funny. – Elizabeth Olsen
Oh, when you sent him down into the herd? – Jeremy Renner
Yeah, because that’s really odd to film when you have two not so practical power – powers of actors, and you had Jeremy who’s a practical fighter for his hero.- Elizabeth Olsen
I’m watching you, like, do this… what’s going on? [audience laughs]. – Jeremy Renner
It was four in the morning. And he’s slowly falling…and I’m as sincerely and genuinely as possible trying to make him a thousand tons, you know? And shove him down to the center of the earth. [audience laughs]- Elizabeth Olsen
We cut, and we had to start laughing. – Jeremy Renner
We were giggly and loopy, and that was a hilarious day on set. – Elizabeth Olsen

Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War
Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen)
Photo Credit: Film Frame
© Marvel 2016

The scene that Renner and Olsen spoke about really is an incredible scene. It’s heart-racing, fast-paced, emotional scene, but I can only imagine how hilarious it looked on set. After all, Elizabeth Olsen is trying to portray mind in a way that is believable on screen. For the record, she accomplishes it!

It’s weird. Yeah. It’s definitely weird. I love it, I grew up dancing, so for me, this is like some weird choreography that I get to meet with someone who’s actually a very talented dancer and choreography, and she and I have become good friends. We actually geek out over it, and we’ll send each other videos of – oh, you know, that bit where you have to throw debris at this person? Like, maybe we can get debris from here and swing it this way, and we just think of all these different ways of how to use the movement. We hope that it all continues to evolve and grow as she does, and understands her powers more. But I love it. I look like an idiot on set, but in my mind, I feel cool, [laughs]. So hopefully, it looks like I’m doing something, [laughs]. – Elizabeth Olsen

We would be kicking butt with Black Widow and Hawkeye if the two had chosen the same side. Black Widow chose #TeamIronMan and Hawkeye chose #TeamCap with Scarlet Witch, Bucky, Falcon, and Ant-Man. Was it difficult for Renner to change the dynamic that he had with Johansson from the previous movies?

Well, yeah, I suppose. There’s always different things that they serve up from the first time we’re together. Because there’s a lot of history with those characters, so I guess I can kinda go off and do whatever but, I like working with Scarlett Johansson and I love that character of Widow. She’s a badass, her character and her, and herself. I just wish there was more. I love working with that character. I think they have a really good history together and a lot of secrets. I think it’s a good family, sort of familial thing, and then it’s kinda happening with Scarlett the Witch, as well, and a sort of familial kind of a thing. Which is kinda great. The weirdest barbecue I think, [laughs], the witch and the widow and… – Jeremy Renner

Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War
Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson)
Photo Credit: Zade Rosenthal
© Marvel 2016

Catch Captain America: Civil War in theaters May 6th and stay tuned for my next exclusive interview with Paul Bettany, who plays Vision, that is coming up on Monday, May 2nd!

Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.